Conceptual and Pragmatic

Xi Ye is an academic at the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at Macau University of Science

and Technology. Her research focuses on architectural and cultural criticism. Her recent

publications include 'Reviving a sense of poetry: assessing Wang Shu's contemporary

design practice' (Architectural Research Quarterly, 2022). Xi Ye holds a Master of Arts

in Urban Design from Cardiff University, UK and a PhD in architecture from Newcastle

University, UK.



Conceptual and Pragmatic explores the tension between architects' intellectual ideals

and expressions and the everyday experience of architecture and its practice. The book

alternates between the subjectivity and sensory experiences of the user, including its

relationship to popular culture, tectonics, and vernacular architecture. Reflecting on the

processes of concept-making and the cultural meaning of architecture, and their impact

on architectural design, Xi Ye evaluates the influence of Western architecture on Chinese

architectural practice and the tension of the former with Chinese cultural traditions and

social conditions.